Emily: Tyler Huntley went 19 for 31. Zero turnovers. One touchdown. And Derrick Henry still couldn't find the end zone. How does a team with this much talent lose 13 to 10? We are breaking down every inch of that tape right now.
Chris: It’s not just about the score, Emily. It’s about how Cleveland’s defensive scheme neutralized our run game when it mattered most, and why Huntley’s efficiency didn’t translate to points on the board.
Emily: Welcome to the Beatline Podcast Network. I’m Emily, joined by my analyst Chris. This is your daily Baltimore Ravens film review. If you missed our pre-game chat yesterday, we predicted a gritty 24-20 win for Baltimore. Clearly, the clock didn’t work out that way.
Chris: Right. And honestly, looking at the box score, the underlying metrics suggest we were in every play until the fourth quarter. But football is played in the red zone, and that’s where the tape tells a different story.
Emily: So today, we’re diving deep. First, we’ll look at what the offensive line actually showed us without Cam Jurgens and Teven Jenkins. Then, we’ll break down the defensive struggles against Deshaun Watson. And finally, we’ll talk about what this loss means for next week against Cincinnati.
Chris: Exactly. We’re going to look at personnel groupings, coverage shells, and situational football. Let’s get into Segment One: The Offense.
Emily: Okay, let’s start with the elephant in the room. Lamar Jackson is out, day-to-day with an ankle issue. Tyler Huntley took over. On paper, he completed 19 of 31 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. That looks efficient, right?
Chris: On paper, yes. But watch the tape. Huntley was playing with a heavy dose of caution because of the injuries on the offensive line. With Cam Jurgens and Matt Hibner out, the interior protection was compromised. He wasn’t taking deep shots; he was checking down.
Emily: I noticed that too. He seemed hesitant in the pocket. There was a sequence in the second quarter where he rolled right, saw Zay Flowers open downfield, but pulled it back and threw a quick slant to Josh Cuevas instead.
Chris: That was exactly it. Cuevas finished with six catches for 66 yards, which is solid, but it’s safe production. Against Todd Monken’s defense, you have to stretch the field vertically. Cleveland brought pressure up the middle, knowing Huntley wouldn’t extend the play like Lamar would.
Emily: And that brings us to Derrick Henry. He had 17 carries for 58 yards. That’s barely above three yards per carry. We talked about how essential his dominance was in the preview. Where did it go wrong?
Chris: It’s leverage and gap discipline. Cleveland stacked the box with eight men. They knew we wanted to run to Henry. Without Jurgens anchoring the center spot, the double teams weren’t holding up. Henry hit the hole, met a defender immediately, and lost yardage.
Emily: And then there’s the fumble. That was the turning point. Henry gets tackled, pops the ball loose, and Cleveland recovers. It wasn’t a bad block, but it was a catastrophic turnover in field position.
Chris: Yeah, looking at the replay, Henry’s arm angle was low. When he goes to protect the ball against a stack of defenders, he needs to tuck it higher. It’s a technique issue, not a effort issue. But in a 13-10 game, that fumble is fatal.
Emily: We also saw Rashod Bateman listed as questionable and didn’t see him feature heavily. Does that limit Huntley’s safety valve options?
Chris: Absolutely. Bateman provides that intermediate seam coverage. When he’s limited or out, the defense can cheat toward the middle, making it harder for Huntley to find those short-to-intermediate windows. It congested the passing lanes.
Emily: So, Huntley played clean football—no turnovers—but the offense lacked explosive plays. We need more than just check-downs if we’re going to beat Cincinnati. Stick with us, because the defense had some issues too.
Emily: Let’s flip the script. Deshaun Watson only threw for 164 yards. 16 of 26. That seems manageable. Why did the Browns manage to score 13 points against us?
Chris: It’s not about total yards, Emily. It’s about efficiency in critical downs. Cleveland relied on Jaleel McLaughlin rushing for 41 yards on nine carries. They used misdirection and outside zone runs to keep our linebackers off balance.
Emily: Carson Schwesinger had 13 tackles. He was everywhere. Did he disrupt our blocking schemes?
Chris: Schwesinger was filling gaps aggressively. He forced the running backs to bounce outside, where our edge defenders were getting beaten on containment. It’s a coaching adjustment from Monken to exploit the edges when the interior is protected.
Emily: What about the pass rush? We got one sack from Calais Campbell. Maliek Collins got one for Cleveland. Was the pressure inconsistent?
Chris: It was predictable. Watson settled into the pocket quickly. Our defensive linemen, including Campbell, were setting the edge rather than attacking the A-gaps. You need more stunt packages to confuse the quarterback. Otherwise, he just waits for his receivers to get open.
Emily: And the secondary? Jerry Jeudy caught four passes for 69 yards. He found soft spots in the zone coverage.
Chris: Jeudy exploited the curl zones. Our safeties, including Jaylinn Hawkins who had eight tackles, were playing a bit too high, giving Jeudy room to operate after the catch. It’s about leverage. If you lower your hips, you force him to make a harder throw.
Emily: So, no takeaways for us. No sacks, no interceptions. Just a ground-and-pound attack that wore us down in the second half.
Chris: Exactly. And that’s the problem. You can’t rely on the offense to score 24 points if the defense gives up first downs consistently. We need Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell to generate consistent pressure without blitzing, as we discussed yesterday.
Emily: Right. We said they needed to step up. Instead, we held them to field goals. Three of them. Andre Szmyt kicked two for Cleveland, including a 48-yarder. That’s frustration.
Chris: Field goals mean we stopped them, but we didn’t stop them enough. We gave up drives. We need to create turnovers to change the momentum. This defense has the talent, but the execution in the red zone was lacking.
Emily: Kyle Hamilton was involved in the tackling chain, but he couldn’t be everywhere. The scheme needs to be simpler for him to make plays. Less guessing, more reading. Stick around, because we have one player to spotlight in Segment Three.
Emily: Let’s talk about Derrick Henry. Five-eight yards on 17 carries. A fumble. A tough day for a Hall of Fame contender. But is this really about Henry, or is it about the scheme?
Chris: It’s a mix. Henry is aging slightly, but he’s still powerful. The issue is the lack of cutback lanes. When you remove Jurgens from the center, the interior push disappears. Henry hits the wall. He’s doing his job, but he doesn’t have space to do his thing.
Emily: So, what’s the fix? Do we change the personnel, or do we change the play-calling?
Chris: You change the play-calling to protect the line. Use more play-action off the run looks. If Henry is even threatening, Watson will hold the ball longer, which helps Huntley. But we haven’t seen enough play-action this season. It’s become too linear.
Emily: And what about the future? Lamar Jackson is day-to-day. If he misses time against Cincinnati, does Huntley stay the starter?
Chris: Huntley played efficiently. No turnovers. That’s good for a backup. But against Joe Burrow, you need mobility to escape pressure. Huntley struggled when the pocket collapsed. I think he stays if Jackson isn’t 100%, but the offense needs to simplify the reads.
Emily: Simplify. Protect the ball. Run the ball better. These are the keys for Week 7. We’re looking at a home game against Cincinnati. Can we turn this around?
Chris: We can. The talent is there. The roster includes Rasheen Ali, Mark Andrews, Devontez Walker. It’s about execution. If we protect the football and generate pressure on Burrow, we win this game.
Emily: I agree. We need to stabilize the run game and protect the ball. That’s what we predicted yesterday. Now we have to deliver.
Emily: Well, that’s the tape. Huntley was efficient but unspectacular. Henry was stuffed. The defense allowed drives. We drop to 4-2, third in the AFC. But we’re not done. Next up: Cincinnati. Home field advantage. Let’s lock it in.
Chris: Agreed. Focus on the fundamentals. Gap integrity. Ball security. Simple stuff, but hard to execute under pressure. We’ll see you at kickoff.
Emily: Before we go, we want to thank you. Keeping this show free and daily takes real effort and passion. Your support makes it possible for us to bring you fresh film reviews every single day. Please consider chipping in via the link in the episode description.
Chris: It helps us keep the lights on and the analysis sharp. We appreciate every listener who helps us grow this network.
Emily: Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. Share this episode with a fellow Raven fan. Let’s get this win next week. Go Ravens!